New experiences lead to new aspirations.

As I’m reaching the end of my 4th full day at Alexander Muss High School in Israel my list of goals has grown.  I feel like I have been here for so much longer than just four days. So much has been thrown at me in these past few days and that is why my list has grown. The kids who are also attending the September program have really surprised me. So far, we are all getting along very well. My goal is to get to know everyone a deeper level than I do now. I also hope that we continue to get along as well as we are and get along even better. I want to build a strong enough relationship with the people here so we can stay in touch after the program. Besides the people Israel has also surprised me. Even though I have been here several times and I’ve only been on one tiyul I have already gotten to see Israel in a different light. I am very excited to experience Yom Kippur in Israel. My goal for Yom Kippur is to get the best experience I can out of it and to appreciate the experience as much as possible.

I had my first day of general studies today. General studies is the classes we take at home but here we take them in small groups with different teachers in order to keep up and return smoothly.  It was a lot more intense than I thought it was going to be. The classes were busy for the most part and we worked hard Another goal I have is to prepare myself as much as I can for my return to school by not just working in class but putting time aside to work outside of class as well. My Israeli History class is great. I learn a lot and it is a class that stirs up great discussion and thinking. We learn about the history of Israel and how it affects the land and the world today. I hope this will help me further develop my Jewish identity and Israeli identity. I also hope to become a better photographer and take better pictures for my curious parents during out tiyuls. Overall I know that this program is going to be great and I hope I can come out of it with having learnt a few things and have no regrets.